Patio cold food server

ABSTRACT

A cold food server for preserving the temperature when serving cold food is presented. The server has a cabin for providing cooling and storage of food at a proper temperature. The cabin has a top and a bottom. The cabin has a hood at substantially the top of the cabin where the hood opens and closes to protect the food. A top for preparing the food. The top has a plurality of drop bowls, a plurality of trays and a plurality of hooks. A plurality of cooling coils for maintaining a temperature for the cold food. A plurality of storage units for storing supplies. Each of the storage units has hinges coupled to an outer portion of the storage units to provide opening and closing of the storage units. The storage units having recessed handles to ease the opening and closing of the storage areas. A cooler for storing refrigerated foods. An outer portion of the cooler being coupled to another of the cooling coils. The cooler has a recessed handle to aid in the opening and closing of the cooler. A plurality of wheels, the plurality of wheels being coupled to the bottom of the cabin. The cabin may also have a cover for protecting the cabin when the cabin is not in use.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to food servers. More particularly, it relates to food servers for cold food.

BACKGROUND

A food cart is a mobile kitchen set up on the street to prepare and sell street food to passers-by. Food carts are often found in cities worldwide selling food of every kind.

Food carts come in two basic styles. One allows the vendor to sit or stand inside and serve food through a window. In the other, the vendor stands next to the cart, while all the room in the cart is used for storage and to house the cooking machinery, usually a grilling surface. The cart style is determined principally by the type of food.

Food carts are different from food trucks because they do not travel under their own power. Some food carts are towed by another vehicle, while some are pushed by a human or animal.

A serving cart is a kind of smaller food cart. It is typically used by restaurants to deliver or display food. Serving carts are also used in households.

Cold food serving carts are generally not storable nor are they of a size that is optimal for home use. Therefore, there is a need for a food cart that is uniquely configured to maintain cold food in a healthy condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustrated view of an exemplary cold food server.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The phrases “in one embodiment,” “in various embodiments,” “in some embodiments,” and the like are used repeatedly. Such phrases do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. The terms “comprising,” “having,” and “including” are synonymous, unless the context dictates otherwise. Such terms do not generally signify a closed list.

“Above,” “adhesive,” “affixing,” “any,” “around,” “both,” “bottom,” “by,” “comprising,” “consistent,” “customized,” “enclosing,” “friction,” “in,” “labeled,” “lower,” “magnetic,” “marked,” “new,” “nominal,” “not,” “of,” “other,” “outside,” “outwardly,” “particular,” “permanently,” “preventing,” “raised,” “respectively,” “reversibly,” “round,” “square,” “substantial,” “supporting,” “surrounded,” “surrounding,” “threaded,” “to,” “top,” “using,” “wherein,” “with,” or other such descriptors herein are used in their normal yes-or-no sense, not as terms of degree, unless context dictates otherwise.

Reference is now made in detail to the description of the embodiments as illustrated in the drawings. While embodiments are described in connection with the drawings and related descriptions, there is no intent to limit the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein. On the contrary, the intent is to cover all alternatives, modifications and equivalents. In alternate embodiments, additional devices, or combinations of illustrated devices, may be added to, or combined, without limiting the scope to the embodiments disclosed herein.

Referring to FIG. 1, an illustrated view of a cold food server 100 for use on a patio or other location is presented. The cold food server 100 is useful for holding cold foods to be served in an outdoor setting and maintaining the temperature of the cold food to prevent bacterial growth and potential illness.

The cold food server 100 has a cabin 110. The cabin 110 is useful for maintaining proper temperature for the cold foods that will be served to guests outdoors. The cabin 110 is preferably made of stainless steel, but may be made of other materials which are efficient for maintaining temperatures such as the material used in making coolers, for example polyethene plastic.

The cabin 110 is preferably three (3) feet in height, though the height could be any height that is sufficient to maintain the coolness for the proper temperature of the food and contains all the food desired for the event. The cabin 110 is preferably four (4) feet in length, though the length may be any length sufficient to maintain the coolness for the proper temperature and containing the food desired for the event. The cabin 110 is preferably two and one-half (2.5) fee in width, though the width could be any height that is sufficient to maintain the coolness for the proper temperature of the food and contains all the food desired for the event. The cabin 110 is preferably rectangular, but may be any shape such as square, trapezoidal, round, etc.

The cold food server 100 has a cover 170 and a plurality of wheels 180. The cover 170 is useful for protecting the cabin 110 from harmful climate and from being damaged. The cover 170 is preferably a thick plastic material with a fleece interior, though the cover 170 may be made of any material and may or may not have an interior liner. The cover 170 fully encloses the cabin 110.

The cabin 110 has a top portion 112 and a bottom portion 114. The plurality of wheels 180 are useful for ease of movement of the cold food server 100 without risking injury to a person moving the cold food cooler 100. The plurality of wheels 180 are coupled to the bottom portion 114 of the cabin 110. The plurality of wheels 180 are preferably coupled to each corner of a square or rectangular cabin 110.

Further, the cabin 110 has a hood 120, a top 130, a plurality of cooling coils 140, a plurality of storage units 150 and a cooler 160. The hood 120 is configured at the top portion 112 of the cabin 110. The hood 120 is useful for covering food serving areas and stored foods from pests, dirt, and the elements.

The hood 120 cover the top 130 of the cabin 110. The top 110 is useful for preparing food for being served. The top 130 is preferably granite, but may be made of other materials such as tile, Corian, etc. The top 130 is preferably flat. The hood is preferably a pull-down hood, but may be an open hood. The hood 120 has a handle 122 for lifting and closing the hood 120. The hood 120 is preferably made of plexiglass, but may be made of other materials such as stainless steel, polyethylene plastic, etc.

The top 130 has a plurality of trays 131. The plurality of trays 131 are generally for containing salads, condiments, utensils, etc. The plurality of trays 131 are preferably made of washable plastic, but may be made of any other material desired. The plurality of trays 131 is preferably four (4) but may be any number of trays which are acceptable for the size of the cabin 110. The trays 131 are preferably of a one (1) quart size, but may be any size such as one (1) pint, one (1) gallon, etc. Further, the trays 131 may all be the same size, different sizes or a combination of similar and different sizes.

The top 130 has a plurality of drop bowls 132. The drop bowls 132 are useful for containing food to be served that require a bowl-shaped medium for holding the food. The drop bowls 132 are preferable made of stainless steel but may be made of porcelain, china, plastic, etc. The drop bowls are preferably between ten and twelve (10-12) inches in diameter. The drop bowls 132 are preferably round, but may be any shape such as square, trapezoidal, rectangular, etc.

The drop bowls 132 are preferably twelve (12) inches in depth, but may be any depth desired by the user and/or the requirements of the amount and type of food to be held in the drop bowls 132. It is preferable for each of the drop bowls 132 to be the same size, but they may all be the same size, different sizes or a combination of similar and different sizes.

The top 130 further has a plurality of hooks 134. The hooks 134 are useful in holding utensils. The hooks 134 may be any size. The hooks 134 may be all the same size, different sizes, or a combination of the same and different sizes.

The top 130 also has one or more lamps 135. The one or more lamps 135 are useful for providing light when the surroundings do not provide enough light to see clearly. The one or more lamps 135 are preferably LED lamps, but may be other types of lamps such as penlights, CFL, fluorescent, etc.

To maintain cooling of the food associated with the top 130, at least one of the plurality of cooling coils 140 are configured to reside under the top 130. The at least one of the plurality of cooling coils 140 are useful to provide cooling to maintain the temperature of the food associated with the top 130 and to prevent the food from spoiling or becoming tainted with bacteria.

Beneath the at least one cooling coil 140 are the plurality of storage units 150 and the cooler 160. The storage units 150 are coupled together and each of the storage units has a plurality of hinges 152. The hinges 152 are useful in allowing the storage units 150 to be opened for ease of access to the storage units 150. The plurality of hinges 152 are configured on the outer portion 154 of the storage units 150. Each of the storage units 150 further have a recessed handle 152 for easily opening and closing of each of the storage units 150.

The cooler 160 is useful for keeping cold food refrigerated until it is to be used or prepared. The cooler 160 is coupled to one of the plurality of cooling coils 140 at an outer portion 164 of the cooler 160. The cooler 160 further has a recessed handle 164 for easily opening and closing of the cooler 160.

In the numbered clauses below, specific combinations of aspects and embodiments are articulated in a shorthand form such that (1) according to respective embodiments, for each instance in which a “component” or other such identifiers appear to be introduced (with “a” or “an,” e.g.) more than once in a given chain of clauses, such designations may either identify the same entity or distinct entities; and (2) what might be called “dependent” clauses below may or may not incorporate, in respective embodiments, the features of “independent” clauses to which they refer or other features described above.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the foregoing specific exemplary processes and/or devices and/or technologies are representative of more general processes and/or devices and/or technologies taught elsewhere herein, such as in the claims filed herewith and/or elsewhere in the present application.

The features described with respect to one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments or combined with or interchanged with the features of other embodiments, as appropriate, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cold food server, the server comprising: a cabin, the cabin for providing cooling and storage of food at a proper temperature; the cabin having a top and a bottom; a hood at substantially the top of the cabin, the hood for opening and closing to protect the food; a top, the top for preparing the food, the top having a plurality of drop bowls, a plurality of trays and a plurality of hooks; a plurality of cooling coils, the cooling coils for maintaining a temperature for the cold food; a plurality of storage units, the storage units for storing supplies, the storage units having hinges coupled to an outer portion of the storage units to provide opening and closing of the storage units and the storage units having recessed handles to ease the opening and closing of the storage areas; a cooler, the cooler being for storing refrigerated foods, an outer portion of the cooler being coupled to another of the cooling coils, and the cooler having a recessed handle to aid in the opening and closing of the cooler; and a plurality of wheels, the plurality of wheels being coupled to the bottom of the cabin.
 2. The server of claim 1, wherein the server being made of stainless steel.
 3. The server of claim 1, wherein the server being three (3) feet in height.
 4. The server of claim 1, wherein the server being four (4) feet in length.
 5. The server of claim 1, wherein the server being two and one-half (2.5) feet in depth.
 6. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drop bowls being four (4).
 7. The server of claim 1, wherein the trays being four (4).
 8. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of hooks being four (4).
 9. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drop bowls being a diameter size of between ten and twelve (10-12) inches.
 10. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drop bowls being a depth of twelve (12) inches.
 11. The server of claim 1, wherein the plurality of trays being a size of one (1) quart.
 12. The server of claim 1, wherein the hood being made of plexiglass.
 13. The server of claim 1, further comprising: A cover, the cover for protecting the cabin from damage.
 14. The server of claim 13, wherein the cover being made of a thick plastic.
 15. The server of claim 13, wherein an interior of the cover being fleece.
 16. The server of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bowls are the same size.
 17. The server of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of trays are the same size.
 18. The server of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of hooks are the same size. 